Chateau de Bussy-Rabutin
- Monument
Off the beaten track in a small wooded valley in the Morvan region, surrounded by a formal garden in the French style, the château of Bussy-Rabutin boasts a decoration designed by Roger de Rabutin, count of Bussy. Cousin to Madame de Sévigné and author of l’Histoire amoureuse des Gaules (the loving history of the Gauls), Roger de Rabutin expressed his resentment towards Louis XIV and the nostalgia of his turbulent love affairs on the walls of his château while he was exiled in Burgundy. He employed his forced free time in continuing the improvements embarked upon in the 16th century on this traditional quadrilateral residence, flanked by towers and surrounded by moats. He focused his efforts on the decoration of the reception rooms, where he gathered an impressive gallery of portraits accompanied with caustic inscriptions, which forms a summary of ancient and modern history. Heraldic room, Men of War room, Kings Gallery, Gilded Tower and Bussy’s bedroom constitute the legacy of the most famous libertine of the Grand Siècle (17th century in France).
The state bought the estate in 1929 and it is being restored for the last ten years.
Lodging
See the listing of the Hotels in Beaune
Practical information
Château de Bussy-Rabutin
F-21150 Bussy-le-Grand
Going there
From Paris or Beaune: motorway A 6, exit Semur-en-Auxois, then secondary road D 980 as far as Semur-en-Auxois and secondary road D 954
From Dijon: main road N 71 towards Troyes to secondary road D 6, then secondary roads D 19 to Villeneuve-les-Convers and D 954 to the Château de Bussy-Rabutin
Localisation
27 km east of the Paris/Beaune motorway
55 km northwest of Dijon